Washing machine



May 14, 1963 J. F. BELAiEFF WASHING MACHINE:

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1961 May 14, 1963 J. F. BELAIEFF 3,089,325

WASHING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. F. BELAIEFF WASHING MACHINE May 14, 1963 Filed May 22, 1961 a o o 600 eoooa 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 y Gym/WMM TTK May 14, 1963 .1. F. BELAIEFF 3,089,326

WASHING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 A17-TY,

May 14, 1963 J. F. BELMEFF 3,089,326

WASHING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1961 5 sheets-sheet 5 United States Patent Ofilice 3,089,326 Patented May 14, 1963 3,089,326 WASHING MACHINE James Frank Belaieff, Collonge-Bellerive, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Frame SA., Fribourg, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed May 22, 1961, Ser. No. 111,674

Claims priority, application Switzerland .lune 8, 1960 4 Claims. (Cl. 68-24) The present invention has for its object a Washing machine of the type comprising a rotative drum with a nouvertical axis for providing the washing and centrifugal drying.

Experience has shown that in order to obtain an efiicient centrifugal drying in the washing machines of normal dimensions, comprising for example a drum of 40 to 60 cm. diameter, the drum must be driven at a speed of rotation of at least 500 to 700 r.p.m., so that the linen coming out from the centrifugal drying is sufficiently dried to enable its ironing.

During the increase in speed of the drum for the centrifugal drying, a critical speed is reached at which the centrifugal forces applied to the wet linen packs, which are not uniformly spaced on the internal peripheral surface of the drum, become very inconvenient. These forces are the cause of large amplitude oscillations of the drum, with respect to the frame of the washing machine. In the actually known washing machines, the drum is pivoted in bearings carried by a vat Which is elastically connected to the frame of the machine. If means are not provided to reduce the transfer of energy from the suspended part comprising the drum and vat, to the fixed part or frame of the machine, the fixed part is subjected to strong oscillations, which may cause movement of the washing machine on the ground, unless it is very heavy or fixed in the ground.

In the washing machines actually on the market, the transfer of energy from the suspended drum and vat to the frame of the machine is reduced by fixing dead weights on the vat, so as to increase the inertia of the suspended part and thus to diminish the amplitude of the oscillations. The size of these dead weights is adjusted so that the oscillations of the suspended part will be suiciently weak so that the transfer of energy from this suspended part to the frame of the machine becomes insufiicient to cause displacements of the machine with respect to the ground. In order to obtain such a result, the dead weights fixed on the vat may reach a weight of about Si) kg. and more. It is evident that this solution is not satisfactory and that it increases unnecessarily the weight and the cost of the washing machine.

It has been also proposed, in order to reduce the transfer of energy to the frame, to provide the drum of a washing machine with equilibrating devices cancelling its unbalance. However, during the increase in speed of the drum for the centrifugal drying, the drum passes through a critical speed, lower or equal to the speed for which the equilibrating device cornes into action, and for which the disturbing forces, due to the centrifugal forces applied to the wet linen packets and non uniformly disposed over the internal periphery of the drum, become very inconvenient and cause oscillations of great amplitude of the drurn, and thus of the vat, with respect to the frame of the washing machine. It is thus unavoidable, if the frame does not have a great mass, of the order of the mass of the vat and the drum full with wet linen for example, that the frame will undergo such vibrations that it moves with respect to the ground, which is not acceptable, and even dangerous in the case of an automatic machine.

The two solutions proposed heretofore tending to reduce the transfer of energy from the suspended part to the fixed part of the washing machine present the same drawbacks: they lead to heavy and thus bulky washing machines; further, the dead Weights of these machines increase their net cost.

In lall the existing washing machines, designed according to one or the other of the designs mentioned above, al1 the connections for connecting the frame to the vat or the inlet of water, for the draining, the distribution of detergent, the access to the inside of the drum for the introduction and removal of the linen, the gas or electrical lines for the feeding of the heating device, must be supple or flexible. 'It goes without saying that these supple connections are subjected to large stresses, particularly during the centrifugal drying, the vat being driven into relatively large and sudden movements with respect to the frame of the machine. These supple connections increase considerably the net cost of these washing machines and are the cause of frequent repairs and maintenance.

The present invention tends to remedy the aforesaid drawbacks by the fact that the vat is made rigid with the frame of the washing machine, Whereas the drum is mounted fioatingly with respect to this frame and this vat and is submitted, on the one hand, to the action of a return device tending to maintain the floating drum in a single rest position and, on the other hand, to the action of means tending to reduce the amplitude of the oscillations of the drum.

The annexed drawing shows schematically and by way of example two embodiments of the washing machine according to the invention.

FIG. l is a side View of the washing machine, certain parts of the frame having been withdrawn.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the machine, partially in cross section.

FIG. 3 is a plan view partially in cross section.

FIG. 4 is a plan View, partially in cross section, illustrating an alternate arrangement.

FIG. 5 illustrates a plan view, certain parts being removed or seen in section, of a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an elevation, certain parts being omitted, of said second embodiment.

FIGS. 7 to l0 illustrate the Working of the equilibrating device.

With reference to the annexed FIGS. 1 to 3, the illustrated washing machine comprises a frame 1 on which a vat 2 is rigidly fixed, whereas a rotative drum 3, the peripheral wall of which contains a multitude or" perforations, is mounted on an auxiliary floating frame 6 which is subjected on the one hand, to the action of a return device tending to maintain it in a well defined rest position and, on the other hand, to the action of means tending to reduce, particularly during the centrifugal drying, the amplitude of the oscillations due to any unbalances.

The frame 1 comprises a bottom 4, a cover 7 and lateral walls 8, mounted on a framing ensuring the rigidity of the assembly. This frame 1 rests on feet 9 which can be constituted for example by rollers.

The vat 2 is rigidly fixed on the frame 1 by means of brackets 10, each welded through one of their extremities on the vat and mechanically connected through their other extremity to the frame 1. The perimeter of the upper opening of the vat 2 is provided with a joint 32 resting on the cover 7, so as to avoid any projection of water out of said vat. The cover 7 presents an opening 33 for the introduction of the linen. The perimeter of said opening is provided with a joint 34. A door 35, pivoted on the cover 7, enables the opening 35 to be shut tightly.

The drum 3 contains a folding door 31 located on its peripheral surface for introducing the linen to be Washed 3 in the drum and removing it. Each of the front faces of that rotative drum 3 is rigidly connected to a shaft 11 co-axial with said front faces. Each shaft 11 passes through the lateral walls 12 of the vat 2 through a hole 13, and'its extremity is pivoted in a bearing 19 mounted on the auxiliary floating frame 6.

The tightness of the vat 2 at the place of the passage of the shafts 11 through the lateral walls 12 1s assured by means of joints 16 of supple material fixed, on the one hand, on the periphery of the holes 13 1n the vat 2 and, on the other hand, on rings 17 revolving and sliding freely on the shafts 11. These rings 17 are applied against the frontal faces of the drum by means of c oil springs 18 compressed between the auxiliary Heating frame 6 and the rings 17. The joints 16 are of preference bellow joints, so as to enable large relative dlsplacements between the vat and the shafts 11.

The auxiliary floating frame 6 presents the general shape of a U comprising two vertical wings or legs 2i! and an intermediate part 21.V The extremity of each of the wings 29 is fast with the fixed part of one of the b earings 19 and the back part 21, connecting the two wings 20, is located under the vat 2. An actuating motor 22 with two speeds is fixed on said back part 21 and a pulley 24 is fixed on its motor shaft 23. This pulley 24 1s located in the same plane as an actuating member of the drum 3. This actuating member is provided with a groove 25, and a trapezoidal belt 26 is engaged in said groove 25 and in the groove of the pulley 24. Pulley 24, belt 26, and the actuating member constitute the driving connection between the motor 22 and the rotative drum 3.

This auxiliary frame 6 is floating freely with respect to the frame 1 of the washing machine and thus with respect to the vat 2, that is to say, frame 6 is mounted so as to be able to displace itself simultaneously along the three orthogonal axes of space, with respect to the frame 1. In fact, thanks to the joints 16, the shafts 11 may move freely in the inside of the holes 13 provided in the vat 2.

This auxiliary floating frame 6 comprises further top cross-members 27 fixed on the wings 20 and lower crossmembers 28 fixed on the back part 21.

A return device connects the auxiliary floating frame 6 to the frame 1 of the washing machine and tends to maintain it in a predetermined rest position with respect to the frame 1. This return device is constituted, in the first embodiment shown, by springs 29 attached on the one hand to the bracket on the frame 1 of the washing machine and, on the other hand, to the extremities of the top cross-members 27 of the auxiliary oating frame 6.

The means tending to reduce, during the centrifugal drying, the amplitude of the oscillations of the drum due to the unbalances are constituted, in the embodiment shown, by a damping device, an attenuating device and an equilibrating device. The damping device is constituted, for example, as illustrated, by hydraulic or friction dash pots 30 pivotally fixed, on the one hand, to the frame 1 of the washing machine and, on the other hand, at the extremities of the lower cross-members 28 of the auxiliary floating frame 6. These dash pots 30 are disposed at an angle both with respect to the -bottom 4 and to the perpendicular walls 8 of frame 1, as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. FIGURE 2 shows the drum in its predetermined rest position in which the dash pots will be in a plane normal to the drum axis. However, when drum 3 is displaced along its rotational axis, the dash pots 30 of course pivot out of the normal plane and make an angle lwith the remaining lateral walls 8 seen in FIGURE 2. Whenever the dash pots 3f? assume this toed in position in response to axial drum movements, they provide three orthogonal damping components, each of which acts along a respective one of the aforementioned three orthogonal axes of drum displacement. Dash pots 30 thus serve as damping means acting both normally and axially with respect to the drum 3 to reduce the amplitude of its oscillations and to limit them in the three orthogonal directions to the order of the clearances between the drum and vat 2.

The attenuating device is constituted, for example, by dead weights fixed on the floating frame. In the embodiments illustrated, these dead Weights are realized by the mass of the auxiliary floating frame 6 and of the motor 22.

The equilibrating device comprises, mounted on either side of the drum on the shafts 11, tight housings 14 in the general form of tores, in each of which balls 15, entirely submerged in a liquid, are freely located.

Each housing 14 is completely filled with a liquid, such as oil. At least two inertia bodies, formed by balls 15, rotate freely inside each annular housing 14. Transfer passages, provided between the balls 15 and the housing 14, allow to the balls a certain liberty of movement inside their annular chamber, by permitting the liquid to flow on either side of each ball.

The surfaces of the balls 15 are polished and have a hardness at least equal to thatpof hardened steel and a very small friction coefficient, for example, at the most equal to that of hardened steel. Thus, the contact surface between the balls and the walls of the housing 14 is reduced as much as possible, and friction is reduced to a sufficiently low degree to permit, as described hereafter, a movement of the balls 15 during the centrifugal drying in order to restore the balance of the drum 3 as the water is extracted; the wall of the housing 14 having the greater diameter is of a hardness at least equal to that of hardened steel.

The working of the washing machine described is the following:

When the machine is in a rest position, that is to say before the introduction of the linen in the drum, the return device maintains the auxiliary floating frame 6 and thus the rotative drum 3, in the rest position illustrated in the drawing. The cycle of the operations necessary for the washing and centrifugal drying of a load of linen is identical to that of existing washing machines having a `drum driven at a low speed (60 r.p.m.) for the washing and at a high speed (500 to 700 r.p.m.) for the centrifugal drying of the load of linen. At the low speed of rotation of about 60 r.p.m., the balls 15 roll in the lower par't (FIG. 7) of each annular housing 14. Indeed, the friction of the balls along the walls of the annular housings is negligible and the balls cannot therefore be driven along with the drum 3. Moreover, the cross-section of the transfer passages is of sufficient size, relative to the viscosity of the liquid filling the housing 14, for the resistance offered by the passages to the dow of liquid therethrough, to be insuiiicient to overcome the action of the weight of the balls and drive them in the direction of rotation of the drum.

While setting the `drum in rotation at an accelerated speed in order to start the centrifugal drying, the drum reaches a critical speed for which the equilibrating device is not yet efficient, but for which the forces, due to the linen packets non homogeneously distributed along the internal peripheral surface of the drum and submitted to the centrifugal force, already act and cause oscillations of great amplitude of Ithe drum. However, in the machine described, these oscillations affect a reduced mass, that of the auxiliary frame and of the drum only. Further, thanks to the return device and to the damping, attenuating and equilibrating devices, these oscillations are strongly damped, the dash pots applying damping components acting along the aforementioned three orthogonal axes, so that a transfer of energy from the drum (suspended part) to the frame of the washing machine (lixed part) practically does not take place, even when the drum revolves at the critical speed. The damping is provided both normal to the drums axis and in the axial direction. Therefore, the frame can be made lighter than those of existing machines, without risking movement of the machine with respect to the ground under the action of the oscillations of the drum, even if this frame is mounted on rollers, so as to render the washing machine easily transportable. Moreover the vat is rigid with the frame, which increases the mass of the fixed parts of the washing machine without having influence on its total weight.

When the drum reaches a speed of rotation higher than the critical speed, for example .250 to 300 r.p.rn., the friction of the balls 15 along the walls of the annular housing 14, but particularly, the liquid enclosed in the said housing, the Viscosity of which is too great relative to the cross-section of the transfer passages to allow a rapid flow of the liquid from one side to the other of each ball, drives the said balls against the action of gravity to above the horizontal diametral plane of the drum 3.

At that moment the inertia bodies are rapidly accelerated up to the speed of rotation of the drum. Assoon as the balls 15 have reached the speed of the drum, the inertia bodies and the drum together are progressively accelerated to the centrifugal drying speed.

If the bundles of linen soaked with water are distributed regularly or symmetrically along the inner wall of the drum, the balls 15 distribute themselves regularly (FIG. 8) about the axis of rotation of the drum, whereas if the bundles of linen are distributed irregularly, the balls 15 place themselves automatically opposite the said bundles of linen (FIGS. 9 and l0) so as to balance said bundles.

Due to the face that the drum is provided with two annular housings, provided vvith balls forming inertia bodies, situated at the two opposite ends of the drum, a practically perfect balance is obtained, so that it is possible to ldrive the drum, without risk of damaging the bearings or of dangerous action on the frame, at speeds quite sufhciently high to obtain an eilicient centrifugal drying of the linen in a short period. Y

The machines constructed according to the present invention present the following yadvantages with respect to yactually existing Washing machines performing the same functions.

(1) The magnitude of the liloating mass is relatively low with respect to that of the suspended masses of the known machines. In fact, the vat is rigidly fixed t-o the frame, whereas in the existing machines, it is fast with the drum and elastically connected to the frame of the machine. In certain cases, this vat is even artificially weighed by means of dead weights.

(2) Thanks to the diminishing of the ratio between the magnitudes of the suspended masses and fixed masses, the stability of the washing machine is increased in large proportions. It becomes even possible, without affecting the stability, to diminish the mass of the frame, providing a saving of material and thus a reduction of the net cost of the washing machine.

(3) The problem of the tightness yof the vat is simplified by the fact that it is rigidly fixed on the frame of the machine. IIn fac-t, the joints of small dimensions that have to be provided for the passage yof the shafts of the drum through the lateral walls of the vat are more easily realizable than the joints mounted on present machines to give access to the drum.

(4) Most of the auxiliary elements, such as pumps, electromagnetic valves and so on, are preferably mounted on the fixed frame `and connected to the vat, so `as to avoid being subjected to the vibrations of the drum, which largely increases their useful |life.

(5) All the connections between ythe vat and the frame of the machine are greatly simplified since they can be fixed and rigid. It is evident that .these connections, being no longer submitted to stresses due to the relative displacements of the vat and the frame, do not have -to be as 6 flexible as those in the existing machines, so that their period of utilization is notably increased.

(6) The washing machines may comprise a vat made of aluminum, galvanized steel plate, enamelled sheet iron or s-tainless steel. It turns out that, for reasons of construction and commercial reasons, the washing machines comprising a vat of stainless steel are preferred to those comprising a vat of one of the yother aforementioned materials. However, from the economical point of View, the stainless steel being of high cost, it is very important to limit the quantity of stainless steel entering in the construction of a vat. In the wash-ing machines according to the present invention, the va-t being rigidly fixed onto the frame, it is thus not submitted to great mechanical efforts and its thickness may be very low, of the order of 0.2 to 0.5 mm. On the contrary, in the existing machines, the vat being elastically suspended from the frame and submitted to large oscillations, its |walls must be kept `at a relatively great thickness (0.7 to 1.2 mm. for example), in order to confer the necessary resistance to the vat.

It is thus possible in the washing machine according -to the invention to realize an appreciable saving of stainless steel, which leads naturally to an appreciable reduction of the net cost of these machines.

(7) In all the washing machines, it is necessary to provide a sufficient clearance on the one hand between the suspended part and the xed part, so as not to limit the movements of the suspended part and, on the other hand, between the vat and the drum in order to hinder that, during the centrifugal drying, the Water might be rejected in the drum by the walls of the vat.

In the existing machines, it is thus necessary to provide clearance between the vat and the frame of the machine, on the one hand, and -between said vat and the drum on the other hand. AThe necessary clearances being great, of the order of :a few centimeters are at least, these leads to a loss of place and thus to an increase of the encumberance volume of the machine.

On the contrary, in the washing machine according to the invention, the vat being fixed on the frame, the clearance between the vat and the frame can be eliminated or made very small. The clearance provide-d between the vat and the drum has the double function of preventing the water from being rejected by the walls of the vat inside the drum during the centrifugal drying and preventving the drum from contacting the vat `during large oscillations of said drum.

Through the elimination of on'e of the free spaces between the three principal elements of a washing machine, it is possible to diminish the overall volume of the washing 'machine with respect lto its capacity.

(8) The part suspended to the frame of the machine being much lighter than in the existing machines, it is possible to employ a lighter frame and thus to lighten still further the washing machine.

The second embodiment of the Washing machine accordi-ng to the invention comprises a frame 1, a vat 2 rigidly fixed to lframe 1 and a rotative drum 3 carried by an auxiliary floating frame 6, the same as in the first embodirnent of FIGS. 1-3.

As described in the first embodiment, the dr-um 3 carries on each of its front Ifaces a shaft 11. However, in the second embodiment, these shafts 11 are of less length and their free extremities are each pivoted in a bearing body 19 showin-g a general tubular shape. Bellow joints 16 connect tightly these bea-ring bodies to the holes 13 provided in the vat and giving passage to these bearings 19.

The auxiliary floating frame 6 is constituted in said second embodiment by a stirrup 46 the free extremity of each wing of which is fixed rigidly by means of tightening means 47 on on'e of `these bearings 19. The driving motor 22. is rigidly xeid on the back par-t of said stirrup. A pulley 49 is fixed on an extension 50 of one of said 7 shatts 11 and connected Vby y'a trapezoidal belt 26 to the pulley 24 of the motor 22'. The auxiliary oating frame 6 comprises further cross members 48 each fixed on one of the Iwings of the stirrup 46.

The return `device is constituted in this embodiment by springs 29 connecting the extremities of the cross members 48 at a point of the vat 2 or of the frame 1.

The attenuatin'g device is constituted by the mass o-f the auxiliary floating device 6 and of the motor 22 themselves.

The damping device is constituted by rubber means 51 co-operating with a plate 52 fixed on the frame 1 or on the vat 2 and mechanically connected through the intermediary of liexible blades 53 to the stirrup 46. In the arrangement shown, each of the bearing bodies 19' carries two rubber means 51 fixed on each of the extremities of a blade spring S3 connected by its middle portion on the stirrup 46 which carries the bearing bodies 19.

The equilibrating device of the second embodiment is of the same type as the one described in reference to the lirst embodiment.

However, the housing 14 of annular form of said lequilibrating device is constituted by a flange S4 carried by a cross member 55 iixe-d on each front face of the l'drum 3, intended to increase its rigidity, and of a thin Ienvelope 56 xed on the edges of said ilange. This housing is tightened by tightening strips 57. The flange 54 carries a rolling path 58v for the balls 15, situated in -the inside of said housing. In order to reduce the wear and the frictions, this rolling path may comprise a coating of polished steel.

It is to be noted that the bearings of the shafts 11 are located approximately in a same plane as the corresponding equilibrating device. This disposition ensures a perfect concentricity between the equilibrating device and its rotation axis, which is a condition for best operation.

This second embodiment of the washing machine according to the invention shows 'thek same advantages as the 'rst embodiment described. Further the judicious disposition adopted for the different equilibrating, attenuating and damping `devices enables to reduce further the cost of the washing machine.

Two embodiments of the washing machine according tto the invention have lbeen described and illustrated by way of example but it goes without saying that numerous variants could be employed without departing from the scope of the protection claimed. Particularly, the return means for the auxiliary floating device could comprise springs disposed otherwise than illustrated, while their number could also be different. These springs could be of a dierent type or replaced by any other known elastic member.

The means tending to reduce the amplitudes of the oscillations of the drum could, in another embodiment, comprise an' equilibrating device of another known type.

Different types of damping devices could be used, and particularly the number and the spacing of the hydraulic =r friction `dash pots could be different from that described and illustrated.

In other embodiments, this damping device could be Iconstituted, as illustrated on FIG. 4, by a brake comprisfing a disc 40* freely mounted on' each of the rings 17 which, in this case, present the form of sockets. Springs 118, located in the inside of the socket rings 17, apply one tof the rfront faces of the rings, through the intermediary of friction and tightness Washers 43, against the lateral Iwalls 12 of the drum 3. This disc 40 is maintained in contact with a braking shoe 41, fixed on the lateral wall of the vat by means of tightening springs 42.

The attenuating device could tbe constituted by masses iixed on the auxiliary floating frame other than the driving motor, for example by discs fixed on the bearing bodies 19, in order to increase the inertia of the suspended part. In other embodiments, the attenuating device could also 'be constituted by one or more beaten Each vs beater comprises a mass elasti'cally connected to the frame. In a particular embodiment, such a beater may comprise a box fixed on the auxiliary lioating frame and housing a mass Idisposed between elastic members bearing on' the box and tending to maintain said mass in a dened rest position.

In another variant, especially for a machine in which the speed of rotation of the drum, during :the centrifugal drying, is low, lower than 50G rpm., the equilibrating dcvice could be omitted. The damping of the vibrations could be then solely obtained with an attenuating device and a damping device.

In a quite general Way, the means tending to reduce the amplitudes of the oscillations ofthe drum might be formed by a damping device combined `with an attenuating device and/ or an equilibrating device.

Instead of the bellow joints 16, labyrinths could be provided, hindering water outlets, and leak collecting buckets could be provided. These collecting buckets would be, of course, provided with draining ducts coming out in the vat.

It is evident that the auxiliary floating frame 6 could present another form and that its attaching points to Y the return device and to the means tending to reduce the amplitude ofthe oscillations of the drum could be differently located.

In certain variants, the auxiliary floating frame could be formed solely by the two bearing bodies 19 to which the return device and the means tending to reduce the amplitude of the oscillations of the drum could then be directly connected. The bearing bodies 19t could then bie connected to each other only through the intermediary of the shafts 11 and ythe drum 3. lln that case, the driving motor would be ixed on the frame of the washing machine and the transmission belt connecting the pulley of the motor to the driving member of .the drum would be provided with a stretching device to compensate for the displacements of the suspended part.

1. A washing machine adapted both for washing and for centrifugal drying comprising, in combination, a main frame, a stationary vat rigidly connected to said main frame and having an upper aperture, a rotatable drum with a non-vertical axis disposed inside of said vat, said drum having a predetermined rest position with predetermined, substantial clearances from the vat on all sides, said vat having holes in its side Walls, supple bellows-like joint members mounted within said holes, shafts iixedly secured to said drum coaxial with its rotational axis and extending outside said vat through said bellows-like joint members, a freely suspended auxiliary frame, bearings carried by said auxiliary frame, said shafts revolving freely in said bearings, a .motor mounted upon said auxiliary frame, means for drivingly connecting said motor :to one of the shafts of said drum, return means coupled between said main frame and said auxiliary frame tending to maintain said drum in said predetermined rest position, said return means allowing free displacement of said drum together with said auxiliary frame and said motor along three orthogonal axes simultaneously, and dash pot damping mea-ns providing .three orthogonal damping components each acting along one of said axes for reducing the amplitude of oscillations of said rotatable drum, said damping means limiting `the maximum amplitudes of the drum oscillations in the three orthogonal directions to the order of the clearances existing between the drum and the vat.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim l, wherein 'said means for reducing the amplitude of drum oscillations comprises, in combination, a `damping means and an equilibrating means.

3. A washing machine Ias claimed in claim l, wherein said means for reducing the amplitude of drum oscillations comprises, in combination, a damping means, an equilibrating means, and an attenuating means.

4. A washing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said attenuating means comprises at least one Weight eariied by said suspended lauxiliary frame.

References Citea in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Russell Nov. 13, 1951 Chamberlin et al Dec. 25, 1951 Smith May 27, 1958 Buechler Feb. 17, 1959 Belaieif May 16, 1961 

1. A WASHING MACHINE ADAPTED BOTH FOR WASHING AND FRO CENTRIFUGAL DRYING COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MAIN FRAME, A STATIONARY VAT RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN FRAME AND HAVING AN UPPER APERTURE, A ROTATABLE DRUM WITH A NON-VERTICAL AXIS DISPOSED INSIDE OF SAID VAT, SAID DRUM HAVING A PREDETERMINED REST POSITION WITH PREDETERMINED, SUBTANTIAL CLEARANCES FROM THE VAT ON ALL SIDES, SAID VAT HAVING HOLES IN ITS SIDE WALLS, SUPPLE BELLOWS-LIKE JOINT MEMBERS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOLES, SHAFT FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID DRUN COAXIAL WITH ITS ROTATIONAL AXIS AND EXTENDING OUTSIDE SAID VAT THROUGH SAID BELLOWS-LIKE JOINT MEMBERS, A FREELY SUSPENDED AUXILIARY FRAME, BEARINGS CARRIED BY SAID AUXILIARY FRAME, SAID SHAFTS REVOLVING FREELY IN SAID BEARINGS, A MOTOR MOUNTED UPON SAID AUXILIARY FRAME, MEANS FOR DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID MOTOR TO ONE OF THE SHAFTS OF SAID DRUM, RETURN MEANS COUPLED BETWEEN SAID MAIN FRAME AND SAID AUXILIARY FRAME TENDING TO MAINTAIN SAID DRUM IN SAID PREDETERMINED REST POSITION, SAID RETURN MEANS ALLOWING FREE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID DRUM TOGETHER WITH SAID AUXILIARY FRAME AND SAID MOTOR ALONG THREE ORTHOGONAL AXES SIMULATNEOUSLY, AND DASH POT DAMPING MEANS PROVIDING THREE ORTHOGONAL DAMPING COMPONENTS EACH ACTING ALONG ONE OF SAID AXES FOR REDUCING THE AMPLITUDE OF OSCILLATIONS OF SAID ROTATABLE DRUM, SAID DAMPING MEANS LIMITING THE MAXIMUM AMPLITUDES OF THE DRUM OSCILLATIONS IN THE THREE OXTHOGONAL DIRECTIONS TO THE ORDER OF THE CLEARANCES EXISTING BETWEEN THE DRUM AND THE VAT. 